Cat Dancers Directed by Harris Fishman, 2008

Unlike anything else you’ve seen, CAT DANCERS is the mesmerizing and haunting tale of the husband-and-wife team who first engaged the world in the art — and tragedy — of exotic cat entertainment. This strikingly candid film lays bare the circus-like lives of Ron and Joy Holiday, childhood friends who improbably pirouetted from dazzling careers as world-renowned adagio ballet dancers to performing with an incredible, if dangerous, cast of lions, tigers, and jaguars.

A remarkable glimpse at the uncanny connection between animals and humans, this stranger-than-fiction documentary also touches on some very human passions. Marriage takes on a new twist when the youthful, charismatic Chuck Lizza joins the Holidays as a performer. The introduction of Jupiter, a rare white Bengal tiger, to the act turns out to be a fatal mistake.

Skillfully directed by Harris Fishman with a moody score by String Theory and the very personal narration of Ron Holiday, CAT DANCERS includes unadulterated joy and unspeakable loss, as well as hauntingly bewitching footage of the felines both on and off stage, resulting in a provocative and intoxicating walk on the wild side that you won’t soon forget.